Henry VIII's Controversial Aunt, Honor Lisle (Hardback)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Many fans of Tudors history would have heard of the Lisle Letters - a vast source of correspondence to and from Arthur Plantagenet, Lord Lisle, during his time serving as the Deputy of Calais from 1533 to 1540. What some readers may not know is that Arthur Plantagenet was an illegitimate son of King Edward IV, and as such was Henry VIII's Uncle. Arthur's first wife was Elizabeth Grey, Viscountess Lisle, whom Arthur inherited the Lisle title from. In 1529, Arthur married his second wife, Honor Grenville and much of Honor's correspondence survives as part of the Lisle letters. While we do get glimpses of Honor in various books about the Tudors, Amy Licence's latest book, Henry VIII's Controversial Aunt, Honor Lisle: Her Life, Letters and Influence on the Tudor Court is the first full-length biography of this much-overlooked Tudor woman. A huge thank you to Net Galley and Pen & Sword Books for providing an advanced copy of this book.

Honor Grenville was likely born into the world in 1493. Her family lived in the town of Bideford, in Devon, in the south-west of England. She was one of eight surviving children to Isabel and Thomas. Her father Thomas' career advanced rapidly following the success of Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, from which point he loyally served the Tudor family.

Honor's first marriage took place in 1515 to an older gentleman by the name of John Basset. She settled with her husband in the nearby town of Umberleigh. As highlighted by Licence, little is known about this period in Honor's life. But, during her marriage to John, she gave birth to seven (possibly eight) children in a period of twelve years. In 1528, Honor's 66 year old husband passed away, leaving Honor with seven children. The following year, Honor married her second husband, Arthur Plantagenet, Lord Lisle.

As a near relation to the King, Honor's second marriage brought her even closer to the Tudor court. The earliest letter that makes a mention of Honor and Arthur dates to 1530. This was a pivotal point at the Tudor court, and a period of increasing tension - the decline of Cardinal Wolsey, the rise of Thomas Cromwell, the beginnings of the reformation parliament, and the climax of the King's Great Matter. In 1532, Honor visited the town of Calais on the French coast. Following this, in 1533, Honor and Arthur relocated to Calais following Arthur's appointment as Deputy. In 1540, Arthur was arrested on suspicion of treason and held within the infamous Tower of London. He died in 1542. Following Arthur's passing, Honor lived out her days in relative obscurity until her own death in 1566.

Structured chronologically, Licence has drawn on a wealth of primary source material to provide a wonderfully detailed account of Honor's life. The style of writing is engaging and accessible, inviting readers into the Tudor world. Readers gain an insight into Honor's management of the household, her tastes, her ability to maintain a connection with the Tudor court from afar, and of course, into her relationship with her husband. So often we hear about the 'main characters' of the Tudor court, but what I particularly loved about Honor Lisle, is that it allows readers to see these infamous events play out from a completely different perspective. Henry VIII's Controversial Aunt, Honor Lisle: Her Life, Letters and Influence on the Tudor Court is another incredible book by Amy Licence and one that I highly recommend.

NetGalley, Lucy Menadue

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Marrying into the royal family is not all sunshine and rainbows. Of course, we tend to think about those who marry the king, the queen, the prince, or the princess. But we also need to consider the aunts and the uncles of the royals as part of the family. Take, for example, Arthur Plantagenet, the illegitimate son of Edward IV and the uncle of Henry VIII. His second wife, Honor Lisle, would help him rule Calais; however, she is best known for her letters and her devout Catholic faith during the Reformation in England. So why is Honor Lisle considered a controversial figure, and what was the cause of the fall of Honor and Arthur from the royal good graces? Amy Licence explores the life of Henry VIII’s step-aunt in the first full biography dedicated to Honor Lisle, which is entitled “Henry VIII’s Controversial Aunt, Honor Lisle: Her Life, Letters, and Influence on the Tudor Court.”

I would like to thank Pen & Sword Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I have heard of Honor Lisle and her letters, but I did not know much about her life before this book. I did know that she was married to Arthur Plantagenet, but I had assumed that he was her first husband, so I didn’t know about her life before Arthur. When I saw that Amy Licence was writing a biography about Honor Lisle, I knew I wanted to read it.

Licence begins with the birth of Honor Grenville, Lady Basset, Lady Lisle Plantagenet. She was born in 1493 to Thomas and Isabel Grenville in the small town of Bideford, Devon. Her father served the first Tudor king, Henry VII, as Esquire of the Body, so Honor’s family did have some connection before Honor’s marriage to Arthur. Honor’s mother died a year after she was born, but her father did not die until 1513. In 1515, Honor would marry her first husband, Sir John Basset, and they would have between 7 and 8 children before his death in January 1528.

A year later was a monumental year for England as it was the start of the divorce between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, which would be known as the Great Matter. It was also the year that Honor married Arthur Plantagenet. The couple would move to Calais, where Arthur would rule for his nephew. This is where we get to see the Lisle letters, Honor’s dictated correspondence to prominent figures in Tudor England. Honor and Arthur would go into debt, dealing with the constant threat of war, balance their faith and being loyal to the King, and handle a plot that would try to put Reginald Pole on the throne.

I found it so interesting to see Honor’s perspective on the big issues of the Tudor court while staying in France, as well as how life in Calais was different from it was in London during this time. Honor Lisle’s life and letters give us great insight into the reign of Henry VIII from the perspective of someone who was outside of England during the major events of his reign. Licence’s research, combined with an easy-to-follow writing style, makes this a very well-written biography. If you want a biography about a lesser-known Tudor woman and her famous letters, I highly recommend you read “Henry VIII’s Controversial Aunt, Honor Lisle: Her Life, Letters and Influence on the Tudor Court” by Amy Licence.

NetGalley, Heidi Malagisi

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Wow - how excited was I to find a book about a Tudor I actually knew nothing about and written by one of my favorite authors too! Honor Lisle was quite a formidable woman during a very turbulent time. Amy Licence does a wonderful job of breaking down all her surviving letters and laying them out in a story-type format that is not in a way - shape - or form dry. Books such as this nature can tend to be that way - but this is not one of them. I devoured this book in two days and have come away with a deeper appreciation of some of the woman (especially during the time of King Henry VIII) who were able to accomplish what they did and keep their persons at the same time. Comes with pictures at the end of the book which is always a bonus with me.

NetGalley, Christine Cazeneuve

Wonderfully thorough and well-researched, this work will definitely lead to me perusing more of Licence's works. As a huge Tudor history nerd, I'm a bit ashamed to note that I have not heard of Honor Lisle but I am so glad to have met her through this book.

Without the wealth of letters retained from her hand and many other's hands, we would not have such an in-depth look at not only the Lisle's lives but Tudor people's lives as well. There's a snapshot into a little bit of everything: clothing, housekeeping and purchases, political bargaining and intrigue. Not to mention, all the quotes bring humanity to people that can sometimes feel very flat in historical texts. There are humorous moments, gossipy moments, moments of seriousness conveyed through these letters that rounds out these people until they feel more tangible. Additionally, it's fascinating how there has always been and always will be a male constantly trying to belittle and slander a woman with any modicum of power simply because their gender offends (looking at you Foxe).

Licence does a lovely job presenting the facts as they are while also providing insight or authorized theories when needed. Never does her personal intervention feel needless or unnecessary. Ultimately I enjoyed this read. This book is for true history lovers and I would caution those looking for something light or for pure entertainment. However, Tudor history lovers should certainly give this a read.

NetGalley, Taylor Moldenhauer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Honor Lisle was a figure I had come across several times when reading about the more mainstream players in Tudor history. Her prolific correspondence gives insight into the Tudor court and Amy Licence’s excellent book brings her vividly to life through meticulous research and engaging writing. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudor period.

NetGalley, Nicola Hall

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Henry VIII’s Controversial Aunt offers a unique opportunity to view the Tudor through a different lens, providing a well-defined side view of major events. Prior to reading this book, I couldn’t have told you who on earth Honor Grenville was, but as it turns out her contribution to history through the Lisle Papers is remarkable. Reading the first several chapters, I found myself wondering what the early years of her first marriage may been like, becoming a stepmother to children nearly her own age and then having a brood of her own. License constructs a brief picture using available facts but isn’t until after her second marriage that her life appears to become more regularly documented. I particularly enjoyed reading about the “religious turmoil” in Calais, the suspicions that surrounded Honor, and the accusations that brought down her husband, Arthur Plantagenet.

Honor was a devout Catholic who lived in before pre- and post-Reformation England. In the text, License explores her faith and its complex interplay with the rapidly evolving world around her. What emerges from this attention to nuance is a portrait of a complex and fascinating woman, who was full of human follies, but driven by her convictions. No matter where your judgment of Honor falls, Henry VIII’s Controversial Aunt, is the story of a Tudor survivor who fell victim to political forces during a time that for many this was a fatal consequence. License provides an accessible, informative, and entertaining account of her life that is sure to be of interest to those with a passion for Tudor-era history.

NetGalley, Nicholas Artrip

I really enjoyed this book! Honor Lisle is one of those figures that we (in England at least) do not come across in school. We learn about the Tudors a lot, do not get me wrong. But our learning and understanding of the Tudors only goes as far in the context of: Henry VII and the War of the Roses; Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York (briefly); Henry VIII and his six wives; and the rule of Henry VIII’s three children (Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI) (I will not go into a rant into the representation of women because I wrote my final year project on that). What I am saying, is that Honor Lisle is one of those figures that I have not learnt about before or seen being taught throughout my experiences in schools. I feel Amy Licence has managed to encapsulate Honor Lisle’s life really well and I have learnt a lot about her. I hope this book really gets highlighted and promoted as some sort of extra reading.

NetGalley, Tash Baines

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Admittedly, details of the life of Honor Lisle seemed to have passed me by in all of my Tudor readings and education so far, so this book was a gem!

The author sets the scene by introducing us to the Tudor era, with how the times were starting to change in Honor’s youth to the changing of kings and queens and to her subsequent position in Calais. Through her experiences and correspondences, we see how the Tudor Court changed, what life was like for her and gained further insight into the period.

The storytelling was great in this and I had absolutely no problem getting hooked. Which for a non-fiction read, I always appreciate!

The research that must have gone into this, I could imagine was immense. It certainly payed off for how all encompassing and well written this was and I really enjoyed reading it. Kudos to Amy License for giving Honor her well deserved space in the pages and to bring her to literary light. I really enjoyed!

NetGalley, Nicola Wilton